An Unlikely Alliance
by fire-dragonz
Summary: The Batman is on the run for murder but with the help of an unlikely aqquaintance can he prove his innocence and bring justice back to Gotham or will the duo's great differences prove too much and will they turn on each other?
1. Murderer

12.01am

The Streets of Gotham:

He'd seen her fall from the rooftop, her body already frozen, the life seeping from her as she hit the cobbled streets below. Trying in vain to grapple towards her, he swooped into the night's sky and glided over to where she had fallen.

Blood smeared the pavement, her cat suit ripped, her body torn and bruised. The brightness of her emerald eyes slowly faded away.

First Penguin, now Catwoman.

He took off his mask, he needed air, needed to breath. Selina…

He had loved her in his own way. Their chemistry was undeniable, their romance, impossible.

He knelt down beside her and stroked her face gently with his gloved hand. Looking around he tried to make sense of it all tried to survey the area, he hadn't seen the killer. No sooner had they thrown her from the building had the vanished into the night's sky.

He wiped a smear of blood from her forehead, the red substance now on his gloves. Unable to make sense of the scenario, he tried to figure out what to do. Just as he was about to lift her the familiar blue and red flashes of light and the shrieks of sirens erupted. Panicking he threw his mask back on just as the police appeared to see him cradling the cat thief's corpse.

'The Batman's killed catwoman!'

'Some kid just said that Bats had been jumping the rooftops with the Cat, he musta pushed her'

'Murderer!'

'The Bats out to kill them all, the Penguin and now the Cat'

A mixture of policemen and spectators yelled out as they gathered in on the caped crusader.

It was true, Batman had only a day ago been seen at the murder of Penguin, the police already suspected him. Whoever else had seen the murder that day reported seeing a black figure rapidly chasing down the victim minutes before their death. Someone was surely trying to frame him but who had motive to kill Penguin and Catwoman? Were they connected or was this just the beginning of the death toll?

Panicking, he placed the corpse down gently, released a smoke pellet and vanished into the darkness.

* * *

><p>12.24am<p>

Gordon's Office:

'Gordon, I'm sorry but I just can't have you involved in this, you're the best cop we have had in years but everyone knows about you and the Batman's friendship. I just can't be sure that you won't try and help him out'.

'He's innocent I tell you mayor, the batman does not kill!'

'Gordon, I'd like to think that but look at this logically, this man dresses up as a bat, fights crime on his own, repeatedly puts these nutjobs back in their place and gets nothing for it, no breaks, no credit, he was bound to snap'.

'You're making a terrible mistake mayor, he is the best thing Gotham has ever had!'

'Maybe so Gordon. But all good things must come to an end.

* * *

><p>4.05am<p>

The Batcave:

A narrow escape. Head pounding, heart racing.

'Master Bruce, are you okay? I saw the news… Miss Kyle, I'm so sorry', Alfred said softly, walking downstairs in his pyjamas, a classic cup of tea in his hand that he knew would go to waste but placed on the computer desk regardless.

'May I suggest you rest sir?' he continued.

Sighing, Bruce looked at his oldest and dearest friend and for once he truly wanted to do as he suggested. Nothing sounded more appealing to him than throwing his cape into the endless pits of the cave and continuing his care-free life as Master Wayne.

He used to tell himself when he first began his quest, just one more criminal then call it a day, be proud of your achievements but still he continued to fight and each night justice was served.

He knew he couldn't quit, not while there was someone out there killing off Gotham's rogue gallery. Cobblepot and Selina didn't deserve to die and he knew he had to find a way to clear his name and find the person responsible for their murder.

Both he and Alfred shared a look, his butler fully understanding Bruce's personal reasons for continuing to wear his mask.

Just as he was about to offer a cloth for his dirty wounds the batcomputer flashed red and beeped.

A message appearing on the screen above them.

'The Riddler is next. He dies at 5.00am on the rooftop of the Police Headquarters'.

So this criminal had begun to leave messages. Why had the killer told him of their plan? It was likely a trap but batman was used to traps and knew it was worth the risk if he could save Nygma's life and prove his innocence.

* * *

><p>4.59am<p>

GCPD HQ Rooftop:

The darkness of the rooftop was unusual to him. He was used to the beam of the batsignal illuminating the area. Waiting in the shadows he cautiously scanned the area for the Riddler or his attacker.

Right on cue, the Riddler appeared shackled and worn out, stumbling towards the batman. Just as he was about to run to his aid, smoke filled the rooftop and the sounds of guns clicking into play was heard. A megaphone cried out, a swarm of blue-suited men with badges flocked towards him. He was pelted from every angle, his body losing focus, growing heavy, he fell to the ground, heard the Riddler laugh and compliment his own acting skills and then his vision went black.

* * *

><p>7.00am<p>

He awoke in a cell. Grunting he tried to adjust to the brightness of the room. He could feel the mask on his face, for that he was glad.

Trying to recall his last memories he worked out that the trap was not that of the murderers but of the police.

Expecting someone like Detective Bullock to arrive and interrogate him he was surprised when a middle-aged woman in a lab coat came into the room.

He stared at her and then down at his arms which were securely shackled to the chair.

The name badge on her breast-pocket read Leyland. He had heard of that name before.

Eyes widening he became aware that he was now far from the police headquarters, he was in Arkham Asylum.

'Hello Batman, I am sorry to have to speak with you in such a way but the police insisted that we take extra precautions with you due to your violent nature within the past few days'.

'We are not the police Batman. We are not here to judge we are here to help. It is clear to see you have suffered greatly in life, whether it be just through your _occupation_ or something deeper we intend to get to the bottom of it an aid you in mending your wounds'.

'Despite what is said of Arkham, it is a rehabilitation centre to treat mentally unstable individuals. You are in safe hands with us Batman'.

She continued to try and make conversation but his thoughts drowned out her words, he was stuck in the same small area with his greatest enemies. He noted the sickly orange outfit neatly folded on the table, he knew instantly that he would not be allowed to keep his outfit. He was to be unmasked, his darkest secret known to his deadliest foes.

* * *

><p>8.00am<p>

Eventually giving up on making conversation, Dr Leyland left the room and in her place two guards appeared armed and ready to take the Batman to his holding location.

On walking through the halls he tried to avoid the jeers and cheers of the inmates, he heard familiar voices laughing at his misfortune. Trying to put on a brave face he walked calmly towards his destination despite the feeling of emptiness and defeat he felt inside.

He reached the far end of the corridor with only 2 cells opposite one another, unlike the others this inmate did not have a name on the cell door, only a prisoner number. The only way in which he could see the criminal was through the tightly barred door window. Before learning of the inmate's identity he was thrust into the adjacent cell, the orange outfit thrust onto him.

'No more hiding Batman, breakfast is at 9, get in that outfit or we will pry that mask from you ourselves.', one of the guards yelled as he slammed the door.

Their laughter could be heard from the hall, 'I reckon it should be a public display, a breakfast time treat for everyone, the true identity of Batman followed by toast and a glass of o.j' the other guard said as they walked away from the cell.

Left alone in the silence of his own thoughts Batman struggled to find a way to escape from his tricky predicament.

He thought of the many criminals that had escaped from the asylum before, the place was prone to breakouts. Surely he could get out no problem and find a way to put an end to this madness, catch the real criminal and prove his innocence.

Scanning the small room he looked for a way to get out. Holding his finger to his ear he tried to communicate with Alfred or Oracle, they would be able to give him the blue prints to the asylum and he would be able to efficiently find a way out.

However, instead of the welcoming voice of his companions on the other end he was greeted be a screeching, broken up frequency.

Cursing he realised that, although his costume had remained on, the staff must have disabled his electronic devices, staring down at his waist he realised that he too, was without his utility belt.

It had been a while since he had been stripped bare of his gadgets and had only himself to rely on. Surveying the area without the assistance of his detective-mode vision he saw nothing that would assist in his escape.

Sitting on the cot-bed he tried to calm himself down, he had only 55 minutes until his greatest mystery would be revealed.

'Psssssttt'

'Hey!'

….

The Batman looked in the direction of the noise and slowly moved forward to the door to look through his barred window.

Across from him in the adjacent cell he immediately recognised the features of his greatest nemesis.

His white toothy grin, his blood red lips and his acid green eyes and hair – The Joker.

'Couldn't help but overhearing you're in a bit of trouble Batsy ole boy'

As usual the Batman remained silent and cold in face of the giggles and glee of the clown.

'Hey, why so glum chum? You have your bestest bud to help you out' he continued in spite of the silence.

'I won't let those nasty guards bully you about, whats say me and you bust this joint and hit the town together!' he laughed.

The Batman snarled, 'I'm not accepting your help Joker, you belong here and that's where you'll stay'.

'Woah Bats, that cut me deep! You only have about 45 minutes to clear this place and here I am, being a good pal and offering you a way out and you go all angry-bats on me! Hey, I'm far more concerned about this whole scenario than you are, what have you got to lose? Your glorious reputation, your mask? Me? I have a crazy criminal-killer on the loose who no doubt has me on his hit-list, my life is at stake here Bats. Not that I fear death or anything, you know me, I laugh in the face of danger… or anything really, what the Hell life's a joke but you Bats, well I just don't know if you'd be able to cope without me. Whatdya say? Me and you get this crook together? We'd make a great team!'

By this point, the Batman had gone back to his previous position on the bed and tried to dull out the sounds of the clown.

'Bonnie and Clyde!'

'Starsky and Hutch!'

'Laurel and Hardy'

…Time ticked away. 15 minutes left.

'Tom and Jerry?'

Batman re-appeared at the door, he sighed, unable to believe that he was about to say these words.

'What plan do you have?'


	2. Breakout

Grinning widely, the Joker pulled a rubber chicken from under his bed and a packet of gum from his pocket.

The batman raised an eyebrow but did not question the madman, to get out of here you needed to be mad, something he believed he truly was not. The Joker on the other hand…

Placing the gum in his mouth, the Joker chewed slowly as Batman anxiously counted down the minutes. 10 to go.

Seeing his worry the Joker laughed and eventually placed the gum from his mouth onto the bars, within seconds the substance began to fizzle and the metallic bars slowly melted away.

With the small square now large enough to fit his hand through the joker placed the gum back into his pocket, replacing it with a keycard.

'Amazing what you find just lying about these days', he chirped as he stretched his arm through the gap and swiped his card against the door.

It unlocked with a click and he calmly stepped out, looked up at the ceiling and listened in amusement as the sirens began to shriek and the 'CODE RED' warnings erupted.

'Mummy and Daddy always hate it when I sneak out without their permission', he sighed.

With a quick flick of his wrist against Batman's door the two now stood face to face in the empty corridor.

Fighting the urge to punch the clown in the face, the batman looked down the hallway awaiting the influx of armed guards.

'Relax Bats, I've done this loadsa times', the Joker laughed, patting the batman's shoulder.

Glaring at the sudden touch, the dark knight growled, 'what now then?'

Just as the Joker opened his mouth to explain the guards swarmed in, guns at the ready.

'Freeze! We are authorised to shoot at will, get down on your knees with your hands on your head!'

'Chicken' the Joker stated manner-of-factly, throwing the rubber toy into the air.

'No! Don't!' Batman yelled as the explosion surrounded the hall in smoke and flames.

'Let's not dawdle Bats! Chill out I'm sure loads of people survive my chicken-grenades', the Joker yelled as he skidded past the still bodies of the guards and down a left corridor.

'Wait, my utility belt!' the Batman called after him, as he too ran past the guards, forcing himself not to check their pulse, wishfully believing them to be okay.

'Oh Bats, you're like the annoying kid in the back of the car, are we there yet? Daddy I need to stop for the toilet!'

Catching up to the clown, both he and the Batman were now running side by side.

'Oh fine, I know where they will be keeping it, you're lucky it's on the way outta here '.

Taking a sharp turn the Joker leapfrogged over an elderly nurse and out of his sleeve produced a wet fish in which he slapped a confused receptionist with. Laughing as he did so, he eventually reached an armoured door, tapped in a pin code and bowed elegantly, gesturing the Batman into the room.

The Dark Knight entered and quickly found his belt, placing it back safely around his waist. Picking up the electronic sequencer he placed it on his belt, ensuring that once they were in a safe distance he would be able to get his communications back up and running and contact the Batcave.

He looked towards the Joker who had collected his trusty knife and was now stuffing a plush-toy of himself (presumably made by his psycho-girlfriend) into his pocket.

The batman stared.

'What? She really got my nose right on that one, have to say I am looking damn hot,' he said bringing out the toy once more, as if Batman was going to agree with him.

'Let's go,' he stated darkly, ignoring the previous statement.

Avoiding another group of guards with a smoke pellet, the dysfunctional duo eventually broke free off the asylum, leaping over the electrical, barbed fence at precisely 9am.

'Wow, out in 10 and we stopped for a snack on the way, I am getting good at this,' the clown smiled.

Once again ignoring the clown, the Batman took out his sequencer and began to re-adjust his communicational settings.

'So Bats, who do you think could possibly be out to get us? Me, I don't know anyone who could have a grudge against me but I bet there are plenty of loony-toons that would like to get back at you'.

Batman snarled, picturing the endless victims he had seen suffer through the many antics of the Clown Prince of Crime. Gordon, Barbara, Jason.

The voice in his ear awoke him from his rage as he heard the familiar sound of Oracle.

'Bruce? Are you there? Is everything okay? The news says you are in Arkham about to be unmasked, what's going on?'

'I'm fine, I'm out of there and am on my way to find the person behind all this,' he replied.

The Joker coughed dramatically, 'WE BATS, there's no I in team'.

'Who is that with you?' Barbara questioned through the ear-piece.

'I'm doing a spot of baby-sitting,' he answered coldy.

The Joker glared, his permanent grin sinking slightly as he gritted his teeth and mumbled under his breath.

'Can we go already Bats? Let's get that car on the road, I've not been in that bad boy for a few weeks now, I'll bet my spot has gotten all cold,' the clown complained.

'Is that the Joker I hear?' Barbara continued astounded.

'I'll explain later, keep me updated if you find out anything else on the killer' the Batman said, abruptly ending the conversation.

Without warning, he grabbed the Joker by his collar and grappled the two of them up into the rooftops of Gotham.

Recovering quickly from the shock, the Joker burst into song and laughter belting out 'You Can Fly' at the top of his lungs.

Eventually, after elbowing the Joker in the mouth until his voice was little more than a quiet mumble of the Disney tune they reached the far end of Gotham and glided into a cliff-face that opened up into one of Batman's many spare Batcaves.

'Hmm, nice try Bats but the last cave I was in was way bigger than this, it had plenty more gizmos too. A massive two-face coin, a giant penguin, a glass case of the dead bird-kid's outfit, loads of funny stuff like that. I know I was knocked out and stuff beforehand but I didn't get the impression we were within a cliff last time either. One of your many bat secrets eh? I'll bet you have tons of these little nests,' the clown spoke as he went around touching all sorts of gadgets and objects in the cave. Batman went to the computer and gathered files on both the Penguin and Catwoman's deaths. The screenshots showed both had been killed in a similar way, a blade of some sort sliced neatly across their throats. It had been one simple hit to their arteries. Whoever this person was they were a trained, skilled killer.

Batman continued to scan through his files, now searching through the list of rogues that he knew were skilled with blade weaponry.

Narrowing the list down slightly he looked through the remaining characters.

'That's a great picture of me, really caught my good side Bats, you should put that as your screensaver,' the Joker laughed, walking towards the computer and noting himself on the narrowed-down list.

Grunting in reply, the Batman highlighted the Joker's name and deleted it from the list.

'Hey! What gives? I have as much right to be on your most wanted as any of those wannabes, I mean Zsasz, the only thing he ever cuts his himself and who the Hell is loa?' the Joker whined.

As was custom, Batman ignored the clown but as he looked at the list, there was only one that stood out, 'That's it, it's them'.

With a click he turned off the computer and pushed a control that raised a platform on which the batplane rested. Moving towards it he preceded to climb into the vehicle, now deadset on his task at hand.

'Huh? What happened to the car? I tell you with all this jumping about in the skies today your lucky I'm not scared of heights, I reckon Pammy would hate this with her love of all things earthy. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, I'm yet to fly the friendly skies with you in your little personal plane. I'm like your new, improved Bird-Boy. Oooh I need a nickname and maybe a sticker or something with a bat on it so that everyone knows I'm now part of your little family', the Joker giggled excitedly as he followed the Batman into the passenger seat of the plane.

'What goes with Bats? To be honest I don't see how Robin ever related to Bats, yeah they both fly but that's about it. Hmm, bats are like rodents, I could be Mole-man! Chipmunk-Chap! Mouse-man, no bats eat mice that wouldn't work'.

Batman sighed and pressed the ignition, sending the plane soaring into the night's sky.

….'Badger boy?'

It was going to be a long day. It was only 9.32am and already Batman regretted his decision to work with his greatest foe. He wondered if being unmasked would be all that bad and drifted off back into his carefree world of Bruce Wayne, anything to drown out the clowns stupid name suggestions. Didn't he know that it was a common error that bats were linked to rodents?

'Ooh wow, nice headphones Bats, we are like twins,' the grinning killer said as he placed an identical pair on his head.

'Paging Doctor Bats, we have a serious problem, a big guy dressed in black has lost the ability to smile, he doesn't get any of my amazing jokes and thinks that it is normal of him to leap from building to building and fight crime in the middle of the night. What's your verdict? … Just as I thought, this crazy can't be cured!' he continued.

Flicking out his knife he smirked darkly, 'But I do reckon I coulda get a smile out of him'.

'Approach me with that Joker and you're going head first out this plane', the Batman replied looking down at the dark sea below.

A quiet 'touchy' was heard from the passenger seat but the rest of the journey continued in relative silence as the Joker played with his blade.

'We get out here', the Batman interrupted.

The clown looked around at where they had landed. An empty field on the other side of the Gotham River.

'hmm yeah I can see why you would think this is host to a crazy-killer, if this lump of grass doesn't strike fear into the hearts of men then I don't know what does', the clown muttered sarcastically.

In silence, the Batman smoothly stepped out from the plane and when the clown followed suit he pressed a small button on his belt that made the plane vanish into thin air.

'I have to get one of them for myself, think how great hide and seek would be', the Joker smiled.

Walking onwards the Batman's voice turned into little more than a whisper, 'you're in the middle of nowhere so don't think about running away. Stay here, I'll get to the bottom of this and then when I'm done I will drop you back off home in time for lunch'.

'Wow, you do have some humour', the clown noted dryly.

'Can you at least tell me why we are here? Are you away to get me a pony or something?' the Joker grinned.

Without a reply the Batman glided upwards and out of sight leaving his teammate alone in the empty field.


	3. Ninjas!

10.20am

The Batman found a small tree to observe the area from. Using his detective-vision his idea was revealed to be true, as through his enhanced sight he saw that the empty land was far more than what meets the eye.

Under the earth was an intricate array of tunnels that linked to the main headquarters of the L.o.A.

From the corner of his eye, he saw two men clad in black enter the field. They brought out a sword from their holder and dug it into the ground, in seconds the ground closed in around them and they were gone.

Gliding to the location the Batman noticed a small set of holes in which the blades could be placed, examining them he realised they must act as a key to open the door to the base.

Without warning the sounds of swords unsheathing was heard breaking his concentration and in seconds a group of similarly dressed men were at him slicing with great skill.

Greatly outnumbered, Batman tried an array of tactics to gain the upper hand in the fight, from trying to batgrapple their weapons away to rapid-fire explosive gel.

As he managed to right hook one of the men in the face and twist another's arm a familiar voice was heard as he saw the white-faced male running towards him.

'Ninjas! You didn't tell me there would be ninjas! Where the Hell are we?' the clown yelled as he narrowly avoided an array of ninja-stars to the back.

The Joker pulled out his knife and went to strike one of the men full force in the face, quickly using his batclaw to grab the knife the Batman launched the blade to the far side of the field.

'What was that for? I was helping?' the clown said in disbelief.

'No knives, only fists' the Dark Knight replied, re-iterating his point with a sharp blow to one of the male's heads.

'Spoilsport', the clown muttered at he followed the trend and back palmed one of the ninjas to the floor.

The men circled the two, trapping them in a ring of swords.

'Ooh how exciting, we are fighting on the same side. I really am beginning to be like part of the family,' the clown cooed.

Without explanation, the Batman grabbed the Joker from behind his back and sent him flying through the air towards the right side of assassins.

The clown flailed, kicking out in all directions managing to knock down about 7 men before he hit the ground.

'Ow, what gives Bats?' he groaned rubbing his backside.

'Robin knows what to do when I do that,' Batman smirked.

'Robin also knows the most effective ways to be hit with a crowbar,' the clown grumbled as Batman sent a batarang flying behind the Joker, knocking one of the attackers to the ground.

'Hey you said no blades, surely those things count', the Joker growled.

The Batman slowly turned the batarang towards the clown in a silent threat until the Joker sighed and leaped forward jump-kicking an assassin in the chest and signalling the continuation of the battle.

As the fight went on, the Batman and the Joker began to fight more co-operatively and in sync. Unaware up until then, how used to each other's fighting techniques they were. The Batman's brute strength and defined combo strikes contrasted well with the Joker's unpredictable blows and unusual agility, within minutes they stood in the middle of the now ring of unconscious bodies.

'What a rush', the clown panted, wiping away sweat from his brow.

Picking up a sword from a fallen foe, Batman walked over to the hidden platform and placed the weapon in the keyhole and both he and the Joker began to descend into the earth.

'Great plan Batsy, let's go head first into an underground world of ninjas, of course that will end well for us', Joker murmured as they reached the bottom of the base.

Bracing himself the Batman replied sternly, 'They will have heard about what happened above by now, we stay together, find Rag and take him in'.

'Rage? What kind of name is that? He's the one behind the murders?' the clown asked.

Seeing two guards run towards them the Batman quickly flicked out his batarang knocking one male against the other and rendering them unconscious.

Running forward he ran past the fallen guards and down a large hallway.

'No worries Bats, I was right behind you anyway,' the Joker murmured as he began to follow on.

Reaching a grand double door the Batman barged it open and strode through the room which was empty with the exception of a grey-haired, robed man at the far end of it.

'We really have to set up a system in which you arrive only through invitation Batman,' the man sighed.

'Why are you killing them Rag?' the Dark Knight growled as he grabbed the middle-aged man by the scruff of his robe.

'You mean that guy with the funny beard is the one that's offing us?' the Joker laughed.

'I might have guessed you'd come here, admittedly I would love to see a final end to the shambles that is Arkham Asylum but I regret to inform you detective that I am not the one you are looking for', Rag replied calmly but firmly.

This time turning his direction to the clown, Rag stated sternly, 'Indeed the world would be a far greater place if creatures like the Joker and his companions were no longer in existence'.

The clown snarled, clearly unable to see the funny side of the man's speech and launched towards him, his acidic flower primed and ready to shoot.

Taking an arm away from Rag, Batman managed however to intervene at the perfect moment, grabbing Joker's collar in his now free arm so that both villains were held in the grasp of the Dark Knight.

'If it's not you then you must know who it is,' the Batman insisted, trying to move the Joker whilst the clown pettily kicked both Rag and the Batman with his flailing legs.

'I do not know detective, truly I wish I did. I believe they would be a fine asset to my ever-expanding family,' Rag smiled.

Suddenly Batman froze, muttering the word 'family', his eyebrow raised and he asked, 'where is Talia?'

'I haven't seen her in months, she left to fulfil a personal journey and is yet to return,' Rag admitted.

Placing the two criminals on the ground, Batman rubbed his jawline trying to remember their last encounter.

It had been a passionate yet sorrowful occasion, similar to Catwoman, Talia and he could never be, both so similar yet so different, their beliefs tore them apart. In their last meeting Talia had begged her 'beloved' to give up his cape and run away with her but he had refused and stated that his journey was nowhere near completed and whilst criminals roamed in Gotham he could not take off his mask. He had kissed her goodbye and believed it would be the end of their romance and that their paths would never cross again.

The skill in which the rogues had been murdered had her mark written all over it, although he didn't wish to believe it he knew it had to have been her.

Lost in his thoughts, Batman was unaware of Rag's rapid movements in collecting his prized sword, which in seconds he had held towards the Batman's throat.

'If it is my daughter that you believe to be behind this then I wish her the best of luck, she does me proud and I won't allow you to come between our vision of a better world,' Rag growled, pressing the blade ever more closer to the Batman's neck.

'I will kill you and then I will kill the clown, you had the potential to be great Batman but now you are just as bad as him. Every time you fight to stop him you just encourage him further, people die because of you. If you and he are gone then thousands of lives will be spared. Farewell detective,' the bearded man continued, his sword rising for the final blow.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!

No sooner had the sword rose than had Rag's body crumbled to the ground.

Now standing in his place stood the grinning male, his hand waving sheepishly, a small buzzer attached to it.

The clown looked down at the frazzled corpse and then looked back at the Batman innocently, 'What he did say he was going to kill us, it was self-defence'.


	4. The Trap

Knowing that the Lazarus Pit was no doubt close at hand the Batman got up, calmly took the buzzer from the Joker's hand, destroyed it and said 'Let's go'.

Somewhat confused by his lack of sympathy for the dead man the Joker quietly did as was told and followed on.

Heading back in the direction they had come in, the Batman pressed his finger to his earpiece, 'Oracle. I need all the information on Talia you can find. I need to know her current location and any other recent goings on'.

'Not this again. She is no good, leave her be. You need to concentrate on proving your innocence. It was just a fling, let her go', the voice spoke back.

'It's not about that. I believe she has a connection to the crimes', he replied.

'First the Joker is tagging along and now you're off on a search for Talia together, your days just get weirder and weirder', she sighed, eventually the clicking of her keyboard was heard in the distance.

'There is no definite whereabouts but apparently she is known to have been recently residing somewhere within the central area of Gotham, next to the courthouse', she continued.

'Thank you Oracle', Batman answered, once again cutting their conversation short.

'Are you aware how ridiculous you look when you speak into that thing? No one hears who you are talking to, I can see with the cops thought you were crazy', the Joker grinned.

Reaching the platform in which to descend back to ground level the Dark Knight merely grunted in reply.

When both were on the platform they waited patiently to be lifted from the base whilst the clown muttered something about the need for elevator music.

Awkwardly the platform refused to budge and the Batman began to look around for a mechanism that would work the machine, he tried placing another sword in the slot but to no avail.

'Ahem, Bats I know what's stopping us from moving', the Joker interrupted, gesturing towards a group of assassins one of which held a snapped cable in his hands.

The Batman took up a fighting position but quickly realised that a battle would be futile as from out of the shadows hundreds of similarly dressed men appeared armed and ready to avenge their leader.

'You're on your own for this one Batsy', the Joker gulped, side-stepping away from Batman.

Aware that there would be no sense in trying to fight the Batman fought the urge to leave the clown in the hands of the assassins and instead grabbed him by the collar and batgrappled them both to the surface.

Allowing no time for explanation he activated the controller on his arm and the plane came flying towards them. Jumping in he allowed several seconds for the Joker to do likewise and then they were flying away from the area just as the army of ninjas re- appeared onto the field.

'Never a dull moment with you is there Batman? I could get used to this, I mean Harley has her moments and sorry to say but is better looking than you but her voice is enough to make you go looney toons. I like how you maintain the strong, silent type and just get on with it, you never try to get the first punch line in, you have all these crazy gizmos and the only time you really speak is when you are having a conversation with yourself or your imaginary friend Oracle whatever you prefer. I guess what I am trying to say, is in general, I just like you a lot more', the clown smiled.

Disturbed that he was at the top of the Joker's friend's list he remained silent as they flew towards central Gotham.

Noticing the various police and media helicopters flying through the city the Batman growled and changed his original plan so that the plane landed on an empty docking area on the far side of Gotham. To avoid too much attention they were going to have to make their way to the centre by foot.

The Batman went to grapple towards a nearby rooftop decoration and became suddenly aware that getting through the city undetected was going to be a lot harder with the addition of the giggling 6ft bleached man.

Beckoning the Joker to follow he changed his stance into a crouch and began to smoothly make his way through a maze of dark, narrow alleys. It looks like they would have to find Talia the old-fashioned way.

On seeing a police car stroll past, the Batman instantly made himself fade into the darkness, unlike the Joker who laughed and began to wave maniacally, yelling 'Yoohoo! Over here, we could do with a lift!'

Kicking him in the back of the knees the Batman knocked the clown to the ground just as the policeman in the passenger seat looked in their direction.

'We stay out of sight, no tricks Joker', the Batman hissed and sensing that it was safe to move onwards he grabbed the Clown Prince of Crime and pushed him forward.

Almost at the centre of the city the Batman decided it was best to assess the area by going through each building individually and by staying off the streets as best as they could.

Sliding into an open window both he and the Joker ended up in an old tenement, surveying the area and finding nothing but a drugged-up, mumbling old man they moved into the next building.

The warehouse was dark and looked to be abandoned. From the broken, dirty windows the courthouse could be seen.

The Batman began to search the area for traces that Talia had been there whilst the Joker fiddled with the dirty windows, finger-drawing a picture of him sending the batman into space on a Joker-faced rocket.

Their acts, however, were cut short by the sounds of panicked muffles. Placing his detective mode on the Batman was able to detect the thermal silhouette of an anxious individual at the far end of the room.

In unison the Batman and the Joker walked slowly towards the figure, the Joker bringing out a novelty lighter to brighten their way and show the identity of the figure.

On reaching the far end of the room they saw a nervous, unmasked Jonathan Crane strapped to a surgical table.

The Joker walked over to him, wiping a tear of sweat from his brow with his gloved hand and laughing.

'How ironic that the Master of Fear is quivering; helpless in his current predicament', the clown smirked.

The Batman looked around for a sign of anyone else in the room and then, taking off the tape from his mouth, he grabbed Crane by the throat.

'What's going on here? Where is she?' he growled.

The ex-doctor looked genuinely confused, 'she?' he whispered in reply.

A door suddenly opened to the right of them and a familiar pale, bald man covered head to toe in scars entered.

'Ah, lucky me. It appears I now have 3 for the prize of 1', the man whispered viciously, branding his bloodied blade.

'Zsasz', the Batman hissed just as the Joker's lighter went out, leaving the room once again in complete darkness.

A dark snicker was heard as the whispered voice of Zsasc said, 'four more additions to be added'.

The four men were left in the black of the room, ready to fight or kill whoever happened to cross their path in the darkness.


	5. The Fear

The Joker went to take out his knife, if Zsasc thought he was the only one able to use a blade he had another thing coming. However after several seconds of frantically checking his pockets and feeling about his suit in the dark the Joker suddenly remembered that Batman had thrown his knife away during their previous exploits. Cursing, he tried to squint his eyes in the dark and make out the figure of the crazed scarred man through the one or two strands of sunlight that appeared through cracks in the boarded, blacked out windows that were not layered in grime.

The Scarecrow was in an even worse position, still tied to the table he had no idea where the enemy lay. In fact, thinking about it no one in the room could be considered an ally. He had no doubt that Zsasc or the Joker would not hesitate to kill him thus he reluctantly placed his hope on the Batman succeeded and transporting him back to the safety of Arkham.

Luckily the Batman had the assistance of his gadgets and used his enhanced vision to see Zsasc in the darkness. Lunging towards him he unarmed the killer and thrusted him into the door he had appeared from.

Following the fallen figure the Batman left the two remaining criminals alone in the main room whilst he 'interrogated' the other inmate.

Just as the Joker was about to go through an array of his favourite 'Doctor, Doctor' jokes the lights suddenly flickered on and a dark figure suddenly somersaulted from the balcony above landing right beside them.

For a moment the woman looked shocked however her expression soon past and turned to that of a smirk.

'I knew that I'd be getting two criminals instead of one but admittedly I had not expected to see you quite just yet Joker' she said smoothly, sliding out her sword from its harness.

'You were going to be my last kill but perhaps you showing up now shall work out better, perhaps now he will understand and will put an end to this madness he endures constantly', she continued.

Producing the Scarecrow's mask from a bag she walked over to Crane and placed it on his head, 'Zsasc had asked that it was removed so he could see the pain on your face as he killed you but I would much prefer you died as the criminal you were'.

'Wait a second, Zsasz got himself a girl? Wow, I mean he was the least of all people I expected to get a woman. If you ask me I kinda thought he was…'placing a hand beside his mouth the Joker continued the sentence in a whisper, '…the other way inclined if you get my drift'.

Growling the woman replied, 'Zsasc was merely a means to get two rogues together in one place, I came across him in a back alley of the city and found him cursing the Scarecrow for something he had done that was bound to get him caught and thrown back in Arkham. I offered him assistance saying that I could help him get revenge on Scarecrow and arranged a time and place where Scarecrow would be helplessly waiting for him. I did so, so that when Zsasz appeared I would be able to kill the two of them, in a sense killing two birds with one stone'.

The Joker glanced at the door in which Batman was quietly watching from then back at the female.

'So you must be that robed-guys kid?' he smiled, trying to stall whilst Bats got a gun at the ready to shoot the psycho-bitch, ha who was he kidding, the Bats would probably try and calmly talk her out of it and end up getting them all killed. Whoever said violence never solved anything was a fool.

Ignoring his question, Talia continued, 'By killing you Joker I can put an end to this impossible quest that he is on. Every time he thinks he is finished another criminal appears that needs stopped but you, you are the constant in his life. It's not right, it's not fair. Without you the world would be a better place, lives would be spared and he could have his back meaning that we could have one together'.

'Batsy and ninja-lady up a tree, K I S S I N G, first comes love then comes marriage then comes a batty babe in a golden carriage', the Joker chimed.

Hissing she began to frantically swipe at the clown as he was barely able to avoid the blade, sometimes even getting cut in the process, all the while laughing at the situation he was in.

'Enough!' The Batman shouted, re-appearing from the shadows with an unconscious Zsasc in his hand.

'Beloved', she whispered as the Batman strode towards her.

'Talia, stop this. I won't let you kill these people. I'm taking you down, you already have blood on your hands. Justice must be served. Killing them won't make me stop it will just make me more determined to fight, you can't justify their crimes with ones of your own', he stated.

Placing her hand on his cheek she whispered, 'I can't allow these crazed-killers to be the only thing that matters in your life, you need something else. Someone else'. She placed her lips on his cheek but he slowly pushed her away.

'I don't care what you say, I won't stop until all the scum of Gotham are dead. I know you love me even if you hate me for doing it, I know deep down you'll realise in the end I was right and thank me for what I have done', she answered, fire blazing in her eyes, ready to kill.

Without warning she ran towards the Joker who just in time managed to kick the body of Zsasc in her route sending her falling forwards.

'Bats this crazy woman is trying to kill me. You have an odd view of what's attractive', the Joker stated matter-of-factly.

Choosing not to mention the crazed-murderess on and off girlfriend of the Jokers the Batman instead grabbed Talia and held her firmly in his grasp.

For once his face softened as he tried to plead with Talia to discontinue her task.

Walking over to Scarecrow, the Joker clicked the straps off and turned to look at Batman and his lover. It was then that an unusual emotion struck him, seeing the Batman look so … human. It made him angry. Jealous? He was never able to make the Bats look at him in such a way, not that he ever needed the Dark Knight's sympathy but the intimacy and closeness the two were sharing made his blood boil.

It was then an idea struck him, no longer was he outnumbered. It was two on two. Sure it had been fun but the girl was right, where would Batman be without his fun-loving Joker?

Deciding that the time was right to switch back to his original side the clown whispered something to his on and off companion and began to put his own plans into action.

'Even if I did stop this life, I could never forgive you. The Penguin and Catwoman didn't deserve to die Talia', Batman continued.

'You mean Catwoman didn't deserve to die? Please, I know you and her had something, she was a crook who only ever looked out for herself. She never loved you. Not like I do, you were just a thrill for her', Talia replied venomously.

Just as Batman was about to argue back a familiar sense of unrealism hit him. He saw Talia stagger as the world became imbalanced and chaotic. The walls began to fade, the sky shone through, its fiery red colour shadowed by swarms of bats.

The Batman turned his head to see the source of the madness. The Scarecrow now free from his restraints stood beside the Joker who was laughing wildly, unaffected by the fear.

Talia broke down to her knees screaming, she clawed at the ground yelling at something that only she could see, repeatedly sobbing the word Bruce.

The familiar scene of Bruce's parents flooded the floor, the pain and agony he felt then rushed back into his body.

With the overwhelming emotion and fear that filled the room, Batman also fell to his knees. The two now-victims extremely vulnerable, poised perfectly for the Joker's plan.


	6. The End

Whilst Scarecrow kept the two busy, the Joker went around the warehouse picking up odds and ends. A skilled artist, the Joker could make something out of anything. He had been wandering for only two or three minutes and had already discovered enough items to create a bomb big enough to blow the building. With his weapon of choice decided he was now searching for something that would bring comic value to the death of his greatest nemesis.

He had reached the top of the balcony where Talia had previously jumped from, looking down at the scene below he realised that the Batman would soon be able to break free of the fear toxin, he had already began to get up from his kneeling stance.

Sighing the Joker noted that he had to work fast if he wanted the death of Bats to happen so he reluctantly stopped looking for comical gizmos and got to work on setting up his explosives.

The Batman struggled to his feet and with all the effort he could muster he slowly managed to grab a batarang from his belt and throw it at the Scarecrow, unable to comprehend how the Batman had managed to get up from his control the Scarecrow was too slow to avoid the blade and it hit him directly in the face, stunning him long enough for the effects of his mask to start to wear off. Taking full opportunity of the time space he had been granted the Batman darted towards the Scarecrow knocking him off his feet and in doing so knocking off his mask.

'Woah Batsy, if I were you I'd take less time to worry about Crane and more about your girl', the Joker sneered appearing once again at the top of the balcony.

Taking out a match he struck it and whilst casually leaning on the railings of the balcony he flung the flame down towards where Talia lay recovering from Scarecrow's ordeal.

Suddenly becoming aware of the intricate array of wires and fuel that the Joker had sprawled on the floor the Batman gasped and tried to glide towards Talia but not before the match hit the floor surrounding her in a ring of fire.

Crane got up from the floor and he too looked at the handy work that the Joker had laid out, untrue to his word the Joker had decided not to avoid wiring the area in which he stood putting him in the same danger as the Batman and Talia. He cursed and was about to confront the clown when he realised that the maniac had begun to light another match, thinking logically he stopped and looked at the Batman who was pre-occupied with saving his lover and then to the open door. Grabbing his mask from the floor he exited the building and escaped the danger. Promising himself that he would never work with the clown again and would retreat in order to plan his revenge against both the Joker and the whole of Gotham.

'Fire in the hole!' the Joker laughed as he effortlessly tossed another match to the ground instantly sparking a domino effect of flames that now covered the whole of the bottom floor so that Batman too was encased in the smoke.

'It's been great Bats but I get it now, you were always top of my list but I was never the top of yours. I'd give anything to spend the day with you, I eagerly awaited our antics, we always had so much fun but no, you had to be a grown up and want more than just silly games you wanted a girl to go back home to after we had had our laughs!' the Joker winced, dramatically wiping his eyes in a crying gesture.

The Batman approached the flames in which Talia was engulfed in, placing his cape in front of his face he tried to anticipate if he could jump in and out of the fire to rescue her. Looking up at the rooftop he considered grappling so that he could swing in and save her but the rooftop was old and was struggling to stay up from the pressure and heat of the flames.

Aware that he had no other option he took out the batgrapple and prayed that he would be quick enough in gliding over to her before the roof caved in.

However, just as he went to do so his nightmares became a reality and large chunks of the ceiling began to topple into the fire.

A chunk of rooftop fell beside him onto the flames, its force dimmed the power of the fire so that his path to the door was a now a possibility.

Talia coughed from within the smoke yelling at him to leave her behind.

Instantly realising that he could use his grapple for the railing of the balcony the Batman swung up to where the Joker stood.

The Batman ignored the clown who in shock had stepped back from the rail. His cape was torn and singed and his mask was slowly burning into his flesh, he could feel tears in it revealing patches of his true identity. He turned his attention to Talia, readying himself to glide into the ring of flames, unaware of what he was going to do once he was in there but unable to let himself do nothing to try and save her.

He looked at the Batman and for once the smile under his own white mask faded. He noticed the tears in the batsuit, saw traces of skin on his face and realised for once in his life that the Batman was human. Yes, he was much more than that to the Joker, to Gotham – he was their symbol of justice but he wasn't invincible. Looking down at the flames that the Batman prepared to jump into the Joker was faced with sudden horrible realisation that the Batman would die if he were to try and save the woman he loved. Of course he had fantasised about his death for years, meticulously planning it in detail but only now did he truly realise what effect his death would have on him. Without Batman there could be no Joker.

Grabbing the Batman's arm the Joker tried to pull the Dark Knight down from the railing, looking at him desperately he said, 'If you go down there to save her you're as good as dead Bats'.

'Then it looks like you've won', the Batman replied darkly, breaking free of the Joker's grasp just as Talia's screams were heard and a giant piece of rooftop fell to the floor.

The rooftop dulled the majority of the room's flames and left an unbearable silence in its wake.

'NO!' Batman yelled, gliding down into the smoke.

The dust from the collapsed ceiling settled and the Batman looked in horror to see the spot where Talia had stood covered in a mass of rubble. Desperately he began to tear away the rocks and concrete, his body ached, his hands were cut and bleeding but he continued to dig away at the ruins eventually reaching the sight he had dreaded.

Her body lay still, remarkably she looked as she did before, there were several cuts on her body but otherwise she remained a thing of beauty. The Batman was struck with Deja-Vu, his emotions similar to that he felt at Catwoman's death.

Wiping her dust covered hair from her eyes he gently lifted her and walked towards the exit.

Outside stood the permanently grinning figure yet his emotions said differently.

Walking past him he placed Talia onto a nearby strip of grass.

The Joker looked onwards, unsure of what to do. Unlike the other two he had escaped unscathed.

It would be wrong to say that he wasn't delighted at the fact that he had killed her. No one deserved that much attention from the Batman but him. Still, it didn't feel right. He knew that by killing her he had changed the ambience that he and the Batman had so long shared. The Batman seemed so much darker than before, he wondered to himself excitedly if he had been able to break him, wondered if Batman would finally have the guts to kill him. He smiled in the knowledge that he could be the Batman's first kill.

As if he could read minds, the Batman slowly turned to him, a murderous look in his eyes. He grabbed the clown by the throat and began to beat him mercilessly, the Joker didn't resist merely laughing through his blood soaked lips.

Although not at all shocked by the clown's behaviour he was enraged by the his inability to care for anything. Anything but his fixation with him,the Batman.

He took a batarang from his belt and held it towards the neck of the bloodied figure. The pressure increased as he slowly began to force the blade forward into the skin, a small stream of blood oozed from the clown's pale neck. It would appear under his mask he was only human too. Therefore he was killable.

A sudden sound of sirens was heard and Batman awoke from his twisted trance, he lifted the clown from the ground just as the police cars appeared and a swarm of blue outfits surrounded the burning building.

News reporters burst through the crowds desperate to ask questions, others already filming sure that they had the answers already.

'And so you have it Gotham, just as expected Batman was not guilty of the crimes. It was obviously the Joker working from within his cell who planned to kill the rogues of the city with the help of a mysterious woman who I can confirm has been found dead at the scene. Once again, the Batman has saved the day', one reported noted.

'The Scarecrow was seen leaving the building only minutes before suggesting that he was responsible for the crimes, it is likely that he too was responsible for making it appear that the Batman killed both the Penguin and Catwoman probably through the use of his hallucinogenic formula', another continued.

The police went to work, trying to supress the crowd and cordoning off the area in which Talia lay. Two ambulances also arrived, one in preparation for Talia the other for the blood-soaked Joker.

Jim appeared through the rabble and instantly walked over to the Batman who was now covered in a mixture of his own blood and the clowns.

'Are you okay?' the Commissioner asked.

Without a reply the Batman took one look at his friend, then at his 'beloved' and finally at the Joker and with a click of his grapple disappeared into the skylines of Gotham.

It was only when he was high above the noise, far away from the crowds looking down onto his city from the rooftop of Wayne Tech did he think to himself. Had he stopped what he was doing because he knew it was wrong or had he stopped only because he heard the police arrive? Deep down he knew the answer and the dark revelation burned him to his very core.


End file.
